Tristan Borillo

Tommie Smith and John Carlos stand in the middle of the lawn imposing and inspiring the students at San Jose State University. They stand upon a concrete Olympic podium with their figures rendered in cast metal and tracksuits recreated in beautiful blue and red tile. Smith stands on the gold medalist's spot and Carlos stands in the bronze medalist's spot while the silver medalist's spot is left with a plaque dedicated to Peter Norman. A white button adorns both of the medalist's track suits with the words, "Olympic Human Rights Project." Gold and bronze medals adorn Smith and Carlos' chests, respectively. The button is validated by the poses of Smith and Carlos who stand with their fists held high and head bowed low. Smith's hand carries an olive branch while Carlos' is tucked behind his back while flashing a thumbs up. The duo have also removed their shoes revealing black socks cast in iron. The shoes are set to the edge of the pod...

To the editor : San Francisco is planning to open up the first safe injection site in the US in the summer. While the idea of having a place for addicts to shoot up without consequence is a scary thought, that is our reality. In San Francisco, needles and homeless are an inseparable and common sight. What we're doing now isn't working and the more policing of heroin users only exacerbates the problem. We might as well have a centralized area for people to receive medical attention rather than having them partake on the streets. And if the safe injection locations fails, San Francisco is already hated by the Trump administration anyways.

1) The USA Today story featured the exodus of Facebook users to Instagram. More Facebook users have decided to stop using Facebook to use Instagram instead which they claim has less drama. The LA Times Article showed how high school students are juggling political activism with schoolwork. In addition to attending high school, they are scheduling marches and protests as well as being active on social media to advocate for gun control. 2) The Instagram trend is happening because of the scandal involving Facebook and Russian election interference. They claim that Instagram is less stress than Facebook and more personal. The students becoming political activists trend is happening because the tragedy of the Parkland High shooting has forced them to become more involved in politics. 3) The political activism feature was a more interesting read because of the impacts that a group of high school kids are making. It's an underdog story about changing the world. These kids are usua...

Gambling is creeping out of the casinos and making its way into the homes of unsuspecting families masquerading as video games. Electronic Arts is accused of placing a gambling system called loot boxes into their game. The player spends money to buy a mere chance at receiving good gear or upgrades for their character in game. Loot boxes exist in other games, but EA’s Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is the worst perpetrator of this predatory business practice. Battlefront 2 is facing legal battles in Belgium and the U.S. Both countries are investigating the claims that these loot boxes can be considered gambling, but the verdict is unclear. This is because Disney, owner of the Star Wars franchise, ordered EA to suspend the loot box system. Disney has stated that they do not want any of their properties seen in a negative light. It’s very common for loot boxes to feature only cosmetic changes, but Battlefront 2 makes loot boxes mandatory for character progression. ...

MIDLAND ZOO INVESTIGATING DEATH OF HOMER The Midland Zoo's oldest polar bear, Homer, died this morning. Homer's cause of death is unknown, but the Midland Zoo is investigating the cause of death. Zoo director Chris P. Bacon states, "We will do everything in our power to determine how this bear died. Animal zoo welfare and the preservation of species are our primary goals here at the zoo" The Midland Zoo takes pride in their unique polar bear exhibit which has existed since 1985.

Whether it's cultivating new talent or performing in front of a dazzled crowd music will always be a part of William Houcheime's life. Throughout his life, Houcheime was a man of action. He was never the type to follow the crowd and would always carve his own path. Instead of going to college Houcheime began to work for Google where he would teach himself graphic design It was during this time that he would also begin to make music. After working for Google for two years, he would use his newly expanded network to create his own startup called TradeKraft Collective. TradeKraft is a company that cultivates talent from different mediums. The people in TradeKraft Collective are musicians, dancers, vloggers and anyone with a creative interest. Houcheime's passion was creating music and he does this under the name "WooShay" with his partner Charlie Buttar. Under the WooShay name, the two have performed at local clubs like Ruby Skye and Pure Lounge to ...

Stephen Colbert is the current host of "The Late Show" and former host of "The Colbert Report." "The Colbert Report" was a satirical news program where Colbert was the star. He put on a conservative persona that was modeled after Bill O'Reilly and Fox News anchormen. The Colbert that was on "The Colbert Report" was crass, highly opinionated and self-absorbed. As Terry Gross interviewed Colbert, Colbert lamented the stress of having to act in that way. "I thought maybe I would make some big mistake with the character because he would say terrible things. And I got away with some of the terrible things he would say or do because it was all filtered through his mask. But if I didn't maintain the mask, it would just be me being terrible." Colbert opened up genuinely to Gross which shows that they had a good rapport. It shows that Gross was a fan of Colbert and that Colbert had no trouble opening up ab...